1. SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF SATARS
(A Case study of Chandragadi VDC of Jhapa District)
Submitted By
RAJESH KOIRALA
Exam Roll No.475
Reg. No. : 702-94
A Project Proposal Submitted to the
Central Department of Rural Development
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science
Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur
Kathmandu, Nepal
July 2000
Table of Contents

2. 1. Introduction
1.1 General Background
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Significance of the Study
1.4 Objectives of Study
1.5 Limitation of Study
2 Research Methodologies
2.1 Rationale of Selection of the Study Area
2.2 Research Design
2.3 Sources of Data
2.3.1 Primary Data
2.3.2 Secondary Data
2.4 Total Population and Sample
2.5 Methods of Data Collection
2.6 Data Presentation and Analysis
References
1. INTRODUCTION

3. 1.1 General Background
Nepal is one of the small countries in the world. Situated in the lap of the Himalaya, it is
located in between the latitude 26o 22' to 30o 27' north and longitude 80o 4' to 88o 12' east
and elevation range from 90 to 8848 meters. The average length being 885 km. east to west
and average breadth is about 193 km. north to south. Geographically it is divided in three
regions: Mountain, Hill and Terai. The country is bordering between the two most
populous countries of the world.
Social structure of Nepal is very complex, which has been highlighted by various foreign
and Nepalese scholars in their writings. Unity in diversity is the major characteristic of
Nepalese national culture. To explain its diversity Professor Tony Hagen has rightly said
that Nepal is one the ethnic turntable of Asia.
Nepal is multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual country where more than 60 ethnic
groups can be found. It is meeting ground for different people and culture situated at the
natural boundary and the watershed that’s runs through the middle of the largest continent
in the world. Nepal has traditionally attracted and given shelter to people from all direction,
east, west, north and south. So development is equally important along with the
geographical space in the process of national development. Almost all ethnic groups are
considered as poor, some belongs to upper class from the point of view of social, political
and economical aspect but the national development must cope with them all which
requires the social, cultural and economical improvement of those communities. Otherwise
not only Nepal but all others poor countries will remain poor forever.
Ethnic diversity gives birth to the religious diversity. A nation cannot exist if we leave the
diversity. The whole society here is recognized as a Nepalese society in spite of much
diversity. Ethnic diversity produces diversities in almost all the aspects of culture. Human
group can easily be separated due the ethnic diversity. More separation among the group
brings different types of elements in the society, like quarrel, murder, crime and other evil
things. Due to the result of struggle between castes and sub-castes a certain group may be
destroys or exiled. Nepalese society is a unique example of the mixture of different caste
and ethnic groups living together. Believing in communitive work, cooperation accepting

4. legally inter-caste marriage and equality in the caste, religion, community recognition
instead of personal recognition are the aspects of equality in the diversity.
Mountain, Hill and Terai have distinct natural features along with population
characteristics. Sherpa, Bhote etc are from mountain, Rai, Limbu etc are from hill and
Satar, Tharu, Yadav, and Mushar etc are from terai in their geographical identification.
Among the different ethnic groups, Satar is one of the indigenous group having their
unique culture, traditions and rituals. Their total population is 42698, 0.19% of the total
national population where as in Jhapa district they constitute 23,172 (3.66) (CBS, 2002). In
the study area (Chandragadi VDC of Jhapa district) their population is 548(3.41%). They
are considered as very poor people and land of their own is rare. They make their home
near the forest area or on the bank of the river. They celebrate their own culture, own
beliefs and ritual.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The national economy of Nepal is fully depends upon agriculture, so the agriculture is the
backbone of economy. The productivity in agriculture sector has been declining on account
of lack of irrigation, fertilizers, modern agriculture equipments and agriculture credit. By
this backwardness in agriculture, it has affected not only other people but also to Satar
group who are fully depended on fishing, gathering of tumor and hunting. One of the main
reasons of poverty among Satar is limited access to the agriculture and land and although
they live in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari district of eastern Nepal which is sounder than
western Nepal in the case of agriculture, this group is almost poor and landless group. Also
their access in agriculture is uncertain in the future due to the low concentration by the
government and they have no any chances in the future to own the land. These groups are
living on others land mostly owned by upper cast groups.
Because of high agricultural productivity in these areas, migration from hilly region of
eastern part is becoming another big problem and it is affecting to the Satar day by day.
People migrate from the hilly region to these three districts and own a land for their needs,
by this, those Satar groups have to leave the land where they are living and settle on
another person's land. Because of poverty and landlessness they have to do this several

5. times. At this time they don't get any option but to leave the place where they are living as
soon as possible.
The hill based groups are not only clever but also some people use force to capture the
fertile land of indigenous people like Rajbanshi, Dhimals and Satar. Although these
indigenous people almost do not have land, few land owner may be victims of hilly people
and loose whole or part of their land. Even the households who had agriculture land, due to
the lack of irrigation, agriculture inputs, chemical fertilizer and technical know-how, every
year the productivity is decreasing and not sufficient to maintain the living standard and
compelled to sell a plot of their land. Many of them have becoming agriculture labor.
Even if we called, quot;Nepal is a garden of flowers,quot; the flowers are sucking and plucking by
the clever upper groups. The unfortunate is that not only clever groups suck and pluck
lower ethnic group but the same ethnic groups also doing that kinds of job within the same
groups. The clever people have captured more properties and the lower economic classes of
the people are becoming poorer and poorer.
The majority group dominates some of the ethnic groups and their cultures: some of the
minorities are oppressed and exploited by the majority who make up the ruling class. Thus,
some of the ethnic groups, minorities, tribal and indigenous people can be encompassed
into the disadvantaged group. We found pluralism in our country. Each and every ethnic
group has its own culture, economic and social and religious reliefs and their culture plays
significant role in the national cultural and nation building process. If unique culture of
Satar is neglected, it will be incomplete explaining the Nepali culture.
1.3 Significance of the Study
Nepal is known as the garden of different flowers. It demonstrates that there are different
ethnic groups, which have their own language, culture, dress, lifestyle etc that is influenced
with the climate and the economic condition of that groups as well as the influence of
development and the development of other groups of people.

6. In primitive age, people lived in forest and their main occupation was hunting. They lived
in-groups and the stronger groups have been dominated the weak groups. During the period
of time, different ways of dominating the groups of people and countries were emerged.
After the “Industrial Revolution” of 17th to 18th century many “Industrial countries” made
colony to the third world nations for their market and for raw materials, minerals etc. When
the light of education was spread to the colonial countries, the people started fighting
against the imperialist are made their countries independent. In Nepal after the Rana
regime, there were establishing schools, collages and the facility of road and air
transportation. The economically upper class of people and the upper class generally
utilized these facilities.
In the same way, in Jhapa district, the tribal castes like Dhimal, Satar, Rajbansi and Meche
are also influenced economically as well as socially by the Brahman, Chhetri, Rai, Limbu
and Gurung. The hill based ethnic groups of people started to migrate in this district. At the
beginning of migration they settle at the foot of hills and after the opening of east west
Mahendra highway, they gradually scattered along with this highway. The process was
continued and the program of Punarbas and the construction of North-South linkage road,
like Birtamode-Kechana, Dudhe, Mahabhara, Surunga-Jhapa, Padajungi-Gauriganj, helped
the hill base ethnic groups to reach up to the Nepal-India boarder.
The Satars are relatively disadvantaged community. This community is in crisis. They are
affected by modernization and westernization. So, this study basically centers on and
around the socio-economic statu of Satar of Chandragadi VDC of Jhapa District.
s
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of the study is to analyze the socio-economic status of Satar of the
Chandragadi VDC.
Other specific objectives are:
1. To trace out the cultural behavior of Satars of the study area.
2. To find out the social organization and social behavior of Satars.
3. To assess the impact of other cultures in their culture.

7. 1.5 Limitations of the Study
The present study will be focused on the socio-economic status of Satar of Chandragadi
VDC of Jhapa District, Nepal. Every social science research is not beyond the limitations
and it is not the exception of that. Some major limitations are as follows.
1. The study will be conducted at Chandragadi VDC of Jhapa district and the
generalization of this study may or may not be applicable to other places or
community ,
2. This study will be conducted with financial limitations and in a limited time
framework,
3. Simple statistical tools will be used to analyze the data.
4. The study is representing only a selected community for research but not the whole
communities,
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 Rationale of Selection of the Study Area
The proposed study will be carried out in the Chandragadi VDC of Jhapa district. Satar of
the study area are one of the primitive indigenous ethnic groups. There are about 75
families of Satars are living in the study area. Their economic condition is very poor
despite they are rich in their culture. They are being exploited by the so called upper caste
and elite people. So the present study will try to trace out the socio-economic status of
Satar.

8. 2.2 Research Design
In order to fulfill the objectives of this study, descriptive and analytical systems will be
used. In accordance to above set objectives, the study will be carried out in a systematic
way.
2.3 Sources of Data
In this study, both primary as well as secondary data will be considered.
2.3.1 Primary Data
The primary data will be collected using questionnaire, from each selected households.
Each sampling households will be selected by simple random sampling method. The
household details, according to questionnaire, will be collected through the direct contact
with Satar people.
2.3.2 Secondary Data
The numbers of secondary data will be taken out from the published books, journals and
documents of Nepal.
2.4 Total Population and Sample
Among the whole population of the Satar of Chandragadi VDC, 10 percent will be selected
as sample on the basis of simple random sampling method.
2.5 Method of Data Collection
To collect the required data, an individual will be selected from the sampled household and
will be interviewed from sample households heads to get information. For the personal
interview, a pre-designed questionnaire will be used. If required, the observation method
will be used specially to know about the socio-economic aspects of Satar people. The data

9. will be thoroughly checked, edited and tabulated to make the data set suitable for analysis.
Data processing will be performed with the help of simple calculator, computer and other
electronic and manual devices.
2.6 Data Presentation and Analysis
The collected data will be quantified by tabulating. Qualitative data will be arranged
systematically. The data will be processed by editing, classifying and tabulating. In this
study, analytical as well as descriptive methods will be used to analyze the data and
information. Necessary maps and diagrams will be used whenever appropriate in the
presentation of text. After analyzing the data and information, necessary conclusion and
recommendation will be made.
REFERENCES
CBS, Population of Nepal (Population Census 2001).
Sharma, Prem, quot;A Hand Book of Social Science Research Methodologyquot;, Kshitiz
Prakashan, Kiritpur, Kathmandu.
Sharma, Prem, quot;Format for Writing Project work for the Student of RD (Handout given to
the students).